Window-shade or map exhibitor



(No Model.)

J. W. MEYER.

WINDOW SHADE OR MAP EXHIBITOR. No. 446,748. Patented Feb. 17,1891.

mine-s5 es Q mzemtor: %MW

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICE.

JOIIN M. MEYER, OF ROCK ISLAND, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-SHADE OR MAP EXHIBITOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 446,743, dated February 1'7, 1891.

Application filed August 19, 1890. Serial No. 362,405. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WILLIAM MEYER, of Rock Island,in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in lVindow-Shade or Map Exhibitors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in window-shade and map exhibitors; and it consists in the combination of a cylinder of suitable length and diameter, which is divided into two halves which are adapted to open for the purpose of exhibiting the shades or maps and to close so as to hide'them from sight, and which halves are loosely connected together with suspending-rods to which the halves are attached, brackets upon which the cylinder and its attachments are supported, and the cords for opening and closing the cyl- 1nder at the will of the operator, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The objects of myinvention are to produce an ornamental exhibitor for window-shades or maps, and which, when opened, will allow all of the shades or maps to be-exhibited one after the other, and which, when closed, will hide them all from sight, and to provide an exhibitor which will take up a great deal less room than those heretofore used, and which, when closed, will protect the shades and maps from dust and dirt.

Figure 1 is a perspective of an exhibitor which embodies my invention and which is shown as closed and attached to the side of the wall. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the exhibitor suspended from the ceiling and opened out. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of the right-hand bracket, showing the connection of the cords, the adjacent end of the cylinder being shown in dotted lines.

A represents the cylinder, which is formed of two halves, which are loosely connected together and adapted to be opened and closed, as shown. The body of the cylinder may be composed of strips or slats and covered over with any suitable material, while the end pieces B are formed of metal, which may be solid, as shown, so as to exclude dirt and dust, or which maybe formed of open-work, as may be preferred. I do not limit myself to any particular construction of these parts A B, for this may be varied at will without departing from my invention. Any suitable material that will form a cylinder of suitable length and diameter maybe used. Each pair of end pieces are loosely connected together by the hinge O at one corner, and projecting from each end piece B is a projection D, to which the suspending'rods F are loosely connected at their lower ends. The hinge-pieces O serve to connect the two halves of the cylinder together and to allow them to open and close,

der and connect it at their upper ends to the brackets G, which may either be attached to the side of the wall or suspended overhead, as may be desired. The upper ends of these rods F are loosely connected to the brackets G, so that the rods can open and close at their lower ends, so as to follow the movements of the two halves of the cylinder in opening and closing, and one of these rods is provided with a projection H, which catches'in a corresponding recess I in the inner edge of the other rod, and thus forms a lock for the purpose of looking the rods together both when the cylinder is closed and open, as shown.

Fastened to the hinge at one end of the cylinder is a cord J, which passes up over the pulleys L N, secured to the two brackets, and then extends downward and has the handle 0 secured to its lower end. At the other end of the cylinder is a second cord P, which is secured to the cord J at one end, then passes up over the pulley N, is attached to the hinge, and extends down to a handle Q. The two handles 0 Q hang down a suitable distance below the cylinder, so as to be in easy reach of the operator. I Q the cord I, which is fastened to the hinge at that end, draws the upper corners of the two parts of the cylinder down into the position shown in Fig. 2, the rods F opening at their lower ends,so as to allow the two halves to sweep through a quarter of a circle and permit the shades or maps successively to be drawn down for the purpose of exhibiting as shown, while the rods F support the cylin-.

By pulling upon the handle I IOC them. hen it is desired to close the cylinder, as shown in Fig. 1, and thus hide the shades and maps entirely from view, the handle O is pulled down, which causes the cord J to exert a lifting-pull upon the hinge at the other end of the cylinder opposite the cord I, and thus close the two halves. The rolls upon which the shades and maps are placed are fastened to the inner sides of the cylinders, and when the two halves are opened, as shown in Fig. 2, the lower edges of the shades and maps are exposed and can be drawn down one after the other to their full length.

An exhibitorof the construction here shown can be attached either to the ceiling or side of the wall, where it will be entirely out of the way, and can be made to hold a large number of shades or maps, and which will be entirely protected from dust and dirt when they are not needed. Aside from the ornamental construction of the parts, a great saving is effected in space and of time in the ease and quickness with which the shades and maps can be exhibited as compared with the exhibitors now in use.

Thisexhibitor may also be used for exhib- .-1 In an exhibitorcomposed of a cylinder which is divided into sections which are loosely connected together, suspending devices connected at one end to the sections and at their opposite ends to a support, substantially as shown.

2. An exhibitor composed ot. a cylinder which is divided into sections which are hinged together, and rods which are pivoted to a support at their upper ends and engage each other and their lower ends diverging and connected to the sections, substantially as described.

3. In an exhibitor composed of a cylinder which is divided into sectionswhich are hinged together, suspending-rods connected at their upper ends to a support, at their lower ends to the sections, and provided with locks, substantially as set forth.

4. In an exhibitor, the combination of a support, a cylinder divided into sections which are hinged together, and operating-cords con nected to the sections for opening and closing them, substantially as described.

5. In an exhibitor, the combination ot'asupport provided with cord-guides, a cylinder divided into sections which are hinged together,

suspending devices connected atone end to the sections and at their opposite ends to the said support, andoperating-cords which are securedto the sections and pass over the said guides, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereofl affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WM. MEYER. W itnesses:

J oHNJ INGRAM, CHAS. L. WALKER. 

